Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview [Hardcover]

J. P. Moreland (Author), William Lane Craig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2003

Winner of a 2004 ECPA Gold Medallion Award! Winner of an Award of Excellence in the 2003 Chicago Book Clinic!

• What is real?
• What is truth?
• What can we know?
• What should we believe?
• What should we do and why?
• Is there a God?
• Can we know him?
• Do Christian doctrines make sense?
• Can we believe in God in the face of evil?

These are fundamental questions that any thinking person wants answers to. These are questions that philosophy addresses. And the answers we give to these kinds of questions serve as the the foundation stones for consrtucting any kind of worldview. In Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig offer a comprehensive introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective. In their broad sweep they seek to introduce readers to the principal subdisciplines of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, ethics and philosophy of religion. They do so with characteristic clarity and incisiveness. Arguments are clearly outlined, and rival theories are presented with fairness and accuracy. Philosophy, they contend, aids Christians in the tasks of apologetics, polemics and systematic theology. It reflects our having been made in the image of God, helps us to extend biblical teaching into areas not expressly addressed in Scripture, facilitates the spiritual discipline of study, enhances the boldness and self-image of the Christian community, and is requisite to the essential task of integrating faith and learning. Here is a lively and thorough introduction to philosophy for all who want to know reality.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

IVP: At well over six hundred pages, this is a monumental book. What led you to take on such a task?

J. P. Moreland: There are two reasons. First, the ascendancy of Christian philosophy in the last fifteen years is nothing short of miraculous. As Mark Noll notes, Christians in other academic disciplines would do well to note how philosophers have made strides to recapture their field for Christ. Bill and I wanted to make the fruits of this resurgence available to others. Second, philosophy is so crucial to developing and defending a Christian worldview that we believed it was essential to make available to the evangelical community solid Christian philosophy in a wide variety of philosophical disciplines. IVP: What do you see as the role of philosophy in shaping a Christian worldview?

Moreland: Combined with biblical exegesis and biblical theology, philosophy is the most important field--historically and conceptually--for developing a Christian worldview. As we make clear in the text, systematic theology itself, as well as attempts to integrate one's field with biblical teaching, essentially depends on philosophy being done with excellence. Our book seeks to remain faithful to central figures in the history of philosophy, especially those consistent with the faith, while at the same time drawing insights from the explosion of Christian philosophy in the last fifteen years to make a genuine synthesis available to a broad readership.

About the Author

J. P. Moreland (Ph.D., University of Southern California; Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary) is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. He also serves as director of Eidos Christian Center. He has written, edited or contributed to twenty books with publishers ranging from Oxford University Press, Routledge, Wadsworth and Prometheus to Zondervan and InterVarsity Press. Among his books are Christianity and the Nature of Science, Does God Exist? (with Kai Nielsen) and Philosophical Naturalism: A Critical Analysis. He has also published more than fifty articles in journals such as Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, American Philosophical Quarterly, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, MetaPhilosophy, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Southern Journal of Philosophy, Religious Studies and Faith and Philosophy. He is a fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture.

Craig (Ph.D., philosophy, University of Birmingham; D.Theol., systematic theology, University of Munich) is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. He is also president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He has published articles in philosophical and theological journals such as The Journal of Philosophy, American Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Modern Theology and Religious Studies. He has written or cowritten more than twenty books, including The Kalam Cosmological Argument; Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom; Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology and God, Time and Eternity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 672 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (March 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830826947
• ISBN-13: 978-0830826940
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 127 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Definitive Introduction, July 17, 2003

By 

Kevin (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (Hardcover)

We live in a modern culture that is not interested in the cultivation of the mind. This is true inside the church as well as outside. In "Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview", authors Moreland and Craig, who are among the best in Christian scholars, place all of the fundamental concepts needed to provide a strong foundation for intellectual growth in one volume. The book is primarily written for the Christian but is very accessible for the non-Christian who is interested in the debate.

The book begins by laying down a philosophical groundwork concerning concepts such as logic & rationality, epistemological issues such as truth and knowledge, and various important issues in metaphysics. Gradually, as the concepts build, the book covers areas in philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, ethics, concepts of God, arguments for the existence of God, Christian doctrines, etc.

This book is a philosophical text and should be treated as such. That is, it should be rigorously studied and not just read. Most people who have not contended with weighty concepts in philosophy and religion may find some sections tedious and difficult to grapple with-hence the need to study. Fear not however, for the book is intended for the beginner and intermediate levels of understanding. Bold face text will alert readers to key definitions and concepts, and the chapters end with summary and list of concepts that should be mastered. Footnotes are placed at the end of book so as to not clutter the text.

Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview is an indispensable scholarly work that combines classical apologetics with fundaments philosophical concepts. It is sure to provide a solid platform by which the Christian can conduct his or her intellectual life. It also exemplifies the intellectual rigor that we have come to know in J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig.

Aristotle once said that the unexamined life is not worthy to be lived. With this book, one is well on their way to an examined life. It is high quality indeed

65 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Presentation of Christian Philosophy, June 18, 2003

By 

Francis J. Beckwith (Woodway, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this outstanding book. Moreland and Craig are two intellectual leaders in a growing movement of Christian philosophers who have offered to both the general public and the academic world sophisticated and compelling arguments for why it is rational, and sometimes obligatory, to embrace the beliefs that are central to the Christian worldview--e.g., the existence of God, the existence of the soul, the reasonableness of miracles, the coherence of the Incarnation, the possibility of theological knowledge, etc. If you have an interest in philosophy and its relationship to the rationality of Christian belief, do yourself a favor and buy this book...

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six stars, a one of a kind masterpiece, August 9, 2006

By 

John D. Lentz Jr. - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective by two of the world's leading evangelical philosophers. This textbook covers everything from epistemology to metaphysics to philosophy of science to ethics to philosophy of religion. Craig and Moreland divide it up according to their specialties: Craig does most of the epistemology and philosophy of religion (and philosophy of space/time), while Moreland writes about metaphysics and philosophy of science. The book is written for those with no expereince in the field, though by no means is it a light fireside books.

This comprehensive and thorough book acts partly as an introduction to philosophy and partly as an apologetic for the Christian worldview (this is evident in the chapters on God's existence, the coherence of theism, and substance dualism). Keywords are bolded, and each chapter has a useful summary at the end. There is also a helpful bibliography for further, more in depth, reading.

If I was forced to say anything less than bubbly about it, I would say that at times, Craig and Moreland act like their specific view (for Moreland, substance dualism, for Craig, Molinism and God's omnitemporality) are the Christian view, when, in fact, there is dissent among Christian thinkers. Even though I agree with Craig and Moreland, I still think they should have been more up front about that. (Though, in all fairness, Moreland does make that point in his chapter on free will.) However, this is fairly minor and does not prevent the book from getting an A+ from me.

If you can only have one book on Christian philosophy, this is definitely the one to get.